Description

‘Funny about death, real about anxiety, witty about the things that worry us the most’ Emma Gannon, author of Olive

‘So fundamentally kind that you can feel the warmth coming off each page’ Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days

Gilda cannot stop thinking about death. Desperate for relief from her anxious mind and alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local church and finds herself abruptly hired to replace the deceased receptionist Grace. It’s not the most obvious job – she’s queer and an atheist for starters – and so in between trying to learn mass, hiding her new maybe-girlfriend and conducting an amateur investigation into Grace’s death, Gilda must avoid revealing the truth of her mortifying existence.

A blend of warmth, deadpan humour, and pitch-perfect observations about the human condition, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a crackling exploration of what it takes to stay afloat in a world where your expiration – and the expiration of those you love – is the only certainty.

Publisher Review

What an absolutely gorgeous book. Funny about death, real about anxiety, witty about the things that worry us the most, with the most endearing kind-hearted cast of characters. * Emma Gannon, author of Olive * Gilda's overwhelming questions about the nature of existence don't go away; transformed by love, they turn into wonder instead. * New York Times * Darkly humorous... Austin has crafted her oddball heroine so tenderly that you will her on to find a way out of the chaos. * The Times * The perfect blend of macabre and funny * Buzzfeed * As funny as the novel is, it's equally dark and intensely harrowing. This debut is profound for its honest portrayal of mental health in a chaotic modern world, giving space for humour and tenderness while reckoning with the absurdity of the human condition. * The Skinny * I know the title of this book makes it sound like a nihilistic nightmare but it promises to be darkly hilarious, which is exactly the sort of edgy comedy I'm searching for right now. * Refinery29 * Dark, edgy humor and starting to buzz * Library Journal, Spring/Summer Bests * Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a gentle book. This novel prompts the reader to sympathise with all those who are normally looked over or past. Emily Austin's narration is so fundamentally kind that you can feel the warmth coming off each page. * Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days * Brilliant. I adored this book. Gilda is a beautiful soul - I felt at times that I was reading about myself. A honest, unflinching look into anxiety. It's also funny, sharp and touching. I can't wait to see people fall in love with it. Will be a HIT * Ericka Waller, author of Dog Days * Winner of this summer's unofficial Best Book Title competition, this grim yet funny debut novel from Emily Austin features the adventures of a morbidly anxious young woman who, for reasons too weird to explain, begins impersonating a recently deceased old lady. Recommended for fans of Mostly Dead Things and Goodbye, Vitamin. * Goodreads, 'Summer Reading: The Hottest New Books of the Season' * Her characters are hilarious, relatable, exasperating, and endearing. For all readers of fiction. * Library Journal * At once hilarious and tender, quirky and dark, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a hugely endearing and genuinely moving novel * Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers * Introducing the bumbling, anxious, helplessly kindhearted heroine we all need right now. Gilda might be an accidental Catholic, a lapsed lesbian, and an inept receptionist, but she's awfully good at helping us reckon-hilariously, tenderly-with our impending deaths. * Courtney Maum, author of I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You * Anxious death-obsessed lesbians unite! I cackled and cringed in recognition while following the exploits of Gilda, who is plagued by intrusive thoughts about death and the absurdity of the human condition. Emily Austin is a unique and wry writer, and her debut novel manages to be both hilarious and profound, a winning combination. * Celia Laskey, author of Under the Rainbow * For fans of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Halle Butler, this is a darkly funny, surprisingly tender, and weirdly charming coming-of-age novel about a young woman with so much anxiety she'd rather lie than risk hurting anyone's feelings. A comedic masterpiece of conflict-avoidance, I absolutely loved this book. * LEIGH STEIN, author of Self Care * A luminous novel, whose humour, wisdom and tenderness shine through on every page.Emily Austin writes with a perfectly-gauged lightness of touch, deftly balancing perceptive musings on life and death with scenes that make you laugh out loud. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead hits that sweet spot: a fun, page-turner of a novel that engages both heart and head. I was captivated by it. * SARAH HAYWOOD, New York Times bestselling author of The Cactus * Gilda is the anxious queer hero who I didn't know that I needed, a delightfully weird reminder that we will one day turn to dust and that yes, this is depressing, but it's also what makes life beautiful, why it's important to say what we mean, do what we want, love as best as our crooked hearts will allow us to while we still can. I will read whatever Austin puts in front of me until I'm six feet under. * JEAN KYOUNG FRAZIER, author of Pizza Girl * As a queer woman whose brain can be a terrifying place, I devoured this novel about a panic-ridden lesbian who hides her sexuality to work at a Catholic Church. While the narrator is anxious beyond measure, the prose is self-assured - brisk and effortless, moving through time and space with ease. At its core, the novel is about the fragility of human life, kept fresh with an intriguing mystery and subtle moments of tenderness. Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a dreary truth but a delightful read. * Anna Dorn, author of VAGABLONDE * We don't deserve an author as insightful and empathetic as Emily Austin. Through the inner dialogue of Gilda, our painfully human heroine, Austin connects us with the best and worst parts of being a person while reminding us that even our darkest moments can lead to extraordinary revelations. I missed Gilda as soon as I finished the last page, and am already counting down to Austin's next book. * ANNE T. DONAHUE, author of Nobody Cares * Everyone in this book will touch your heart. Austin's writing is spare yet exciting, each page sparkles with keen observation about the fleeting nature of life, yes, but also our profound ability to make lasting impact on those around us. I already can't wait to read what she writes next. * Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Editor * There's some strange magic at play here. A book about the anxiety of being someone else that possesses a genuine warmth and comfort? A book about death and depression that's laugh-out-loud funny? A book written in straightforward unadorned prose that nonetheless feels entirely distinctive? I don't know how Emily Austin does what she does, and honestly I don't care. I just want more. * Sean Adams, author of The Heap * Emily Austin's protagonist, Gilda - an atheist, animal-loving lesbian who has worried about death since childhood-spoke directly to the deepest, darkest parts of myself. Did I mention that she's also hilarious? This is not just a tender-hearted story, it swerves like a thriller, and I couldn't put it down. * SARA QUIN, band member of Tegan and Sara, co-author of New York Times bestseller High School * Gilda, Emily Austin's anxious and endearing hero, is a dream. It's impossible not to root for her as she navigates love, religion, mental health and everything in between. Too often our heroes are bigmouths who take up outsized space in the world. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead redefines bravery....Turn to any page in this lovely debut and you'll meet a tsunami of joy * ANDREW DAVID MACDONALD, author of When We Were Vikings *